Sassan Behnam Bakhtiar ‘The Real Me’ Solo Exhibition

“Do you know what you are? You are a manuscript oƒ a divine letter. You are a mirror reflecting a noble face. This universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you are already that.”

– Rumi

Sassan Behnam Bakhtiar may be a new name in the art world, but it is one you are going to be hearing a lot from now on. The artist recently put on a successful solo exhibition of his latest series of work ‘The Real Me’ at London’s Debut Contemporary.

Me and the fabulous artist Sassan Bakhtiar as well as curator Barry Martin posing for One woman Many hats.

The two day free event, which was open to the public from the 24th – 26th October provided the artist with the perfect opportunity to share his latest series of work, which consists of a unique mix of installations and photography from the ‘Real Iran’ the ‘Real him’ as he calls it.

Sassan Behnam Bakhtiar also unveiled his first artist film at the exhibition, in which he had created in collaboration with Goldsmiths PhD Computer Science Department.

Of his latest works, the artist said that he aimed to ‘represent a clear picture of the reality behind most Iranians today, contrary to what the global media tries to portray.’ He admitted that his inspiration for the series was partially born out of frustration of the way in which the international media portrays his native country.

Sassan Behnam Bakhtiar’s solo exhibition at the Debut Contemporary has been deemed a huge success with editions of both The Real Me, My Brothers series and The Real Me, Persepolis series being acquired by both local and international collectors.

The artist’s artwork entitled ‘My brothers’ , one of my favourites , were sold to private collectors from Azerbaijan , Dubai and now London making the most popular of the series in addition to Persepolis.

About Sassan Behnam Bakhtiar

Sassan Behnam Bakhtiar was born on 1st February 1984 in Paris. He had a keen interest in painting, installations and photography from a young age, with both of his parents being passionate artists. Whilst Sassan Behnam Bakhtiar is still relatively new to the industry, he has already achieved so much and has received critical acclaim around the world from both collectors and his peers.

Through his artwork, the artist aims to illustrate an alternative view of his native country, Iran, inspired by ‘his direct experience with the world.’ The personal view he offers through his series of artwork like The Real Me, My Brothers and The Real Me, Persepolis is authentic, honest and offers a far different portrayal from what we see through the lens of the international media.

Of his work the artist says ‘I want to educate people with my art so the mass population today can have a better understanding of facts rather than strategically made up stories used for all the wrong reasons. My most recent series The Real Me Part I & II incorporates this message in its core and I have made sure to complete each piece in a way that could be understood by everyone and on a global level.’

Since 2010, Sassan Behnam Bakhtiar has been selling his acclaimed artworks with the Christie’s auction house since 2010 and was recently handpicked by Sotheby’s to join their family of international contemporary artists.

His latest series of artwork The Real Me Part I and II have already become a huge international success, along with the unique collaborative video, which debuted at the solo exhibition in London last week.

Recently the artist has exhibited with some of the biggest names in the contemporary art world, with events taking place in Abu Dhabi, London, Los Angeles and New York. Sassan is currently based in the South of France, where he continues to create his inspiring and educational works of art.